Reconciliation Week 2022: How Sims are working to achieve reconciliation in Australia

June 3, 2022 marked 30 years to the day (June 3, 1992) since the Australian High Court issued the Mabo decision. This decision challenged the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (unowned land) and recognized Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of Australia and the Torres Strait Islands.

The day also marked the start of Reconciliation Week, an important opportunity to reflect on our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to reconciliation in Australia. The theme for Reconciliation Week 2022 was “Be Courageous”. Make the change’.

That’s our commitment at Sims Limited. With over 100 years of history in Australia, we recognize the role we must play in both telling the truth about the past and building a future of shared and sustainable prosperity.

Last year, Sims Metal, our metal recycling division, formalized our first Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). It sets out the first steps on this journey and is an official document endorsed by Reconciliation Australia. The RAP, which is based on the three pillars of reconciliation: respect, relationships and opportunity, is an important part of our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in all of our global operations.

• Respect manifests itself by taking the time to listen and learn. In 2021, we rolled out cultural competency training, which reached 80% of our frontline leaders and on-site sales teams. We will build on this work in our next PCR to reach all Australia-based employees.

• We are building Relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses, communities and organizations for mutual benefit. For example, before the COVID-19 pandemic, we hosted a delegation from the local Indigenous Health Service at our facility in Kwinana, Western Australia, so they could see firsthand what happened to the car bodies that Sims Metal has helped remove communities from the Kimberleys and Pilbaras.

• Business partnerships are essential because they help build Opportunities – both in our business and in our supply chain. We have worked with one of our vendors, Yurra, to integrate their team members into our rail recovery teams in WA, which will increase the capabilities of both organizations. Last year, we spent over $1 million with Indigenous-owned businesses, and we recently joined Supply Nation, the flagship organization for Indigenous-owned businesses, to help us grow our impact in this vibrant and dynamic business sector.

This year Sims Metal marked Reconciliation Week with events across Australia including morning teas and community events. The company also held a flag-raising ceremony and a smoking ceremony at its Kwinana location. Sims Limited and its portfolio companies will continue to explore new ways to engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities and businesses as we work towards reconciliation.

Learn more on our commitment to DCI.

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